Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 October 2020
78. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the funding that has been allocated for dance schools following the announcement of Budget 2021; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31871/20]
View answer79. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the breakdown of the €50 million provided for the live entertainment sector in Budget 2021; the way in which this funding will be used; the way in which live entertainers can avail of support; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31907/20]
View answer87. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the amount of the €50 million in additional funds announced for the live entertainment support scheme which will be available for workers and businesses in the industry if Covid-19 restrictions continue to prohibit indoor gatherings and therefore events. [31988/20]
View answer88. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media the amount of additional funding for the arts and culture sector as a whole, the Arts Council, the live entertainment support scheme, the audiovisual sector and the national cultural institutions which is specifically new funding when compared with the amounts provided for in the revised estimates for 2020. [31989/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 78, 79, 87 and 88 together.
In Budget 2021, the Government provided support for live entertainment in the amount of €50m. This will include measures for the commercial entertainment sector and will support live entertainment in venues across the country, building on the Stimulus scheme announced in July. It will also see support for activities at community level leading to greater work opportunities for artists, crew and venue workers nationwide. There will be further supports for music, building on the significant demand for support under the July stimulus Music Scheme operated by First Music Contact. A scheme of capital grants for equipment will also operate in 2021. Combined with measures announced by the Minister for Finance, this will provide additional supports to a sector severely impacted by COVID-19. It is my intention to consult with the sector in advance announcing how this funding will be used and allocated.
Primary support for the arts including dance in Ireland is delivered by the Arts Council, which is independent in its funding decisions under the Arts Act 2003. The Arts Council received an additional €25 million in funding in 2020 in response to the pandemic, bringing it final 2020 allocation to €105 million. Among the measures delivered as a result of the extra funding are new and additional bursaries and commissions from the Arts Council, including supports for freelance artists and those looking to develop projects on a collaborative basis. Arts Council funding in 2020 has reached organisations and individuals never before funded by the Council. Arts Council funding for 2021 is up €50m from its initial 2020 allocation to €130m. This additional investment will empower the Arts Council to help artists, arts workers and arts organisations come through this crisis and play their part in the national recovery. It will ensure that events of the highest quality across all art forms can still reach the public in new and blended ways. This support will protect jobs and it will see thousands of artists enabled to create new work. This year, the Arts Council is providing support to a wide range of stakeholders impacted by the pandemic. This increase in funding will allow the Arts Council to broaden its reach further and in particular to reach out to workers in the sector, especially those who would not previously have been beneficiaries of support from the Arts Council.
Screen Ireland’s funding will increase by €9m to €30.1m in 2021. The audiovisual industry has been one of the success stories of 2020, with on-screen success in the form of Normal People, but also its track record in maintaining output in the face of COVID-19. This record allocation will further support Screen Ireland at this critical time. In addition, the extension of the Section 481 regional uplift for an additional year is an important support and will further assist growth in the industry.
An allocation of €8m is being made to the National Concert Hall to allow for the transfer of the National Symphony Orchestra from RTÉ. This will be a significant step towards the objective of enabling the orchestra to be established as a world class orchestra which will, with the NCH, provide a creative and imaginative programme strategy that will greatly enhance the offering of the combined organisation to the public.
Additional capital funding will see progress in the ongoing programme of investment in our capital institutions including at the National Library of Ireland, the National Archives of Ireland and the Crawford Art Gallery.
The Decade of Centenaries programme with increased funding to €5m will allow for the appropriate commemoration of the centenary of events leading to the foundation of the State.
Overall, Budget 2021 comprises €270m in current expenditure and €60.7m in capital for the arts and culture sector. This represents a very significant increase in total funding. It reflects Government's acknowledgement of the important role that the sector plays in our economy and society and recognising the devastating impact COVID-19 restrictions have had on the sector.
